Is James Anderson good enough to ????

[wildbill2u]

I didn't get to see him play much last season but he seems to have a lot of fans here. What's the big deal? How does he fit? Why the hype?

Some think he can play the 3, but I don't see it at 6'6" and the Spurs must not either since they drafted Leonard.

Considering he was injured and a rookie, he got some decent minutes out of Pop after Feb. but his stats over 26 games don't knock me out. A shooting guard ought to shoot better FGA than .38% it seems to me. Shot 3s at .39 clip which is good.

But comparing him to Neal as a SG who shot FGA at .45 and 3pt at .419 over 80 games, it's easy to see why Neal got all the minutes in playoffs.


Looks to me like he is possibly a rotation player in the league who just got eclipsed at his position by another rookie. I know we've heard they may try to move Neal to PG, but I'm wondering if Anderson is Doomed to be a third SG if he stays with the Spurs?

[DeadlyDynasty]

I didn't get to see him play much last season but he seems to have a lot of fans here. What's the big deal? How does he fit? Why the hype?

Some think he can play the 3, but I don't see it at 6'6" and the Spurs must not either since they drafted Leonard.

Considering he was injured and a rookie, he got some decent minutes out of Pop after Feb. but his stats over 26 games don't knock me out. A shooting guard ought to shoot better FGA than .38% it seems to me. Shot 3s at .39 clip which is good.

But comparing him to Neal as a SG who shot FGA at .45 and 3pt at .419 over 80 games, it's easy to see why Neal got all the minutes in playoffs.


Looks to me like he is possibly a rotation player in the league who just got eclipsed at his position by another rookie. I know we've heard they may try to move Neal to PG, but I'm wondering if Anderson is Doomed to be a third SG if he stays with the Spurs?

It's somebody other than RJ

[Leetonidas]

/thread

[Rito3d30]

he was a bit out of shape after his injury
but for the performance in the early season
looks kinda promising to me

On the defensive side, he is better than Neal:toast

[baseline bum]

I thought he looked like a decent rotation player early in the year before getting hurt. I don't think the Spurs would have traded Hill if they didn't think Anderson could become a good player.

[stnick2261]

I didn't get to see him play much last season but he seems to have a lot of fans here. What's the big deal? How does he fit? Why the hype?

Some think he can play the 3, but I don't see it at 6'6" and the Spurs must not either since they drafted Leonard.

Considering he was injured and a rookie, he got some decent minutes out of Pop after Feb. but his stats over 26 games don't knock me out. A shooting guard ought to shoot better FGA than .38% it seems to me. Shot 3s at .39 clip which is good.

But comparing him to Neal as a SG who shot FGA at .45 and 3pt at .419 over 80 games, it's easy to see why Neal got all the minutes in playoffs.


Looks to me like he is possibly a rotation player in the league who just got eclipsed at his position by another rookie. I know we've heard they may try to move Neal to PG, but I'm wondering if Anderson is Doomed to be a third SG if he stays with the Spurs?

He can play the 3 like Manu can play the 3. They are both SGs who got playing time in a quick, 3 guard lineup. He showed good defense in his minutes pre-injury. Drafting Leonard doesn't affect this. With Hill gone, Neal was told to expect minutes at PG this year as well... so in reality, you could have PG Neal, SG Anderson, SF Leonard... (not that we'd really see that lineup).

Manu is the main guy ahead of Anderson in the depth chart (Neal will still get minutes there as well)... and Manu only has a few years left.

But as to your original question if he's good enough?... I don't expect anyone to ever be more than a role player, but I hope at least one of Neal, Anderson and Leonard becomes starter-worthy in the league.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i dont see any of our young players being volume scorers....

[benefactor]

Some think he can play the 3, but I don't see it at 6'6" and the Spurs must not either since they drafted Leonard.

Your answer is right here. The Spurs drafted a 3 and moved one of their rotation guards. Anderson will be the primary backup at the 2 and a situational 3.

[wildbill2u]

he was a bit out of shape after his injury
but for the performance in the early season
looks kinda promising to me

On the defensive side, he is better than Neal:toast

But not better than Danny Green?

Green is another 6'6" guard who was waived off a ten day early in the year and then brought back at the end. He had less games (8) than Anderson (26) last spring, but got into 4 playoff games while Anderson had no playoff appearances.

Green shot better for average on FG 48% and almost as well on 3pt. Not a great number of shots to get a true picture or excited about for either of them, but I'm just sayin' I gon't get the hype for Anderson.

Look, I'm hopin' he's another 'diamond in the rough' draft find by the FO but so far I'm seeing high-grade Zircon.

[DesignatedT]

Start Anderson, bring Manu off the bench. He IS that good enough, yes.

[AFBlue]

Why the hype? His scouting report detailed a complete scorer (spot-up j, off-screens, penetrate-n-pull up) with decent athleticism, good defensive potential and solid work ethic. Early in the season he showed a good bit of those skills, and the coaching staff is said to be impressed with his work over the off-season. He did struggle with his role in limited minutes after coming back from the injury, but I trust the scouting report and Spurs' evaluation of his talent as the "tie-breaker" from the two small samples of good (early season) and bad (down the stretch).

I don't think he's a franchise player or future all-star, but he definitely has the present skill-set and work ethic to be a starting guard in the league.

[lefty]

I believe in James Anderson

[elemento]

Why the hype? His scouting report detailed a complete scorer (spot-up j, off-screens, penetrate-n-pull up) with decent athleticism, good defensive potential and solid work ethic. Early in the season he showed a good bit of those skills, and the coaching staff is said to be impressed with his work over the off-season. He did struggle with his role in limited minutes after coming back from the injury, but I trust the scouting report and Spurs' evaluation of his talent as the "tie-breaker" from the two small samples of good (early season) and bad (down the stretch).

I don't think he's a franchise player or future all-star, but he definitely has the present skill-set and work ethic to be a starting guard in the league.

This

[stephen jackson]

i think hes gunna end up being better than hill. gives us more size at least

[Bruno]

Anderson looked better than Neal before he injured his foot. I'm not saying that he would have had a better rookie year than Neal without this injury but there are reasons to be hopeful regarding him.

[TD 21]

I see Anderson's upside as that of a lesser version of prime Redd. He's a prototypical SG, but he can definitely play SF in a pinch. His upside is probably average starter, but I can't see him being any worse than a solid rotation player. I've seen that type of player succeed many times, which always helps when projecting players. Long term, I see him and Leonard as the Spurs starting wings. Their games should compliment one another well.

His stats are irrelevant, given that the majority of them were accumulated after he missed a couple of months and clearly wasn't in good enough shape. And comparing him to Neal is foolish. Neal was an NBA rookie, but a seasoned pro. He also wasn't injured on and off throughout the season.

I'd be surprised if the Spurs go with a consistent ten man rotation. I think Leonard will be used as a situational SF, to take a turn defending James, Durant, Anthony, etc. and as a small ball PF. That would leave Anderson as the primary backup SF and Neal as the primary backup at both guard positions.

[joshdaboss]

I think he can be like a James Harden, but less effective in P&R. I don't think he's a starter, but a very good bench player on a contender.

[jimo2305]

But not better than Danny Green?

Green is another 6'6" guard who was waived off a ten day early in the year and then brought back at the end. He had less games (8) than Anderson (26) last spring, but got into 4 playoff games while Anderson had no playoff appearances.

Green shot better for average on FG 48% and almost as well on 3pt. Not a great number of shots to get a true picture or excited about for either of them, but I'm just sayin' I gon't get the hype for Anderson.

Look, I'm hopin' he's another 'diamond in the rough' draft find by the FO but so far I'm seeing high-grade Zircon.

much agreed here..
you can't be so out of shape from the foot fracture that you're completely useless on the court..
anderson came back acting like his whole foot was amputated or something.. i expected him to get back into the groove of things by season's end the latest..
and to think neal was behind him on the depth chart..

[joshdaboss]

Danny Green sucks. He's destined for a career in Europe... or worse, the D-League.

[wildbill2u]

Anderson was getting into games and playing some good minutes after Feb. I don't think the out of shape argument is very good. How long does it take if you are practicing and playing in games?

I hope he contributes, I have nothing against him. I just don't get why some folks are so high on him. Seems like every year there is a player that fans fall in love with and predict great things that never come true.

[wildbill2u]

Danny Green sucks. He's destined for a career in Europe... or worse, the D-League.

You may be right about Green. My point was that he came in late after being waived earlier in the season and still was playing in playoff games while Anderson wasn't. What about his conditioning?

When I see two journeymen move ahead of a first round pick I begin to wonder about the hype. One guy claims he is better than Hill= so why wasn't he playing more.?

Pop lets players earn time on the court better than most coaches and I think he was trying to give Anderson some burn, but he couldn't play ahead of Danny Green in the playoffs?

[Nathan89]

Anderson looked better than Neal before he injured his foot. I'm not saying that he would have had a better rookie year than Neal without this injury but there are reasons to be hopeful regarding him.

I was more impressed from the start with Neal. It's obvious that Neal is significantly better than Anderson at offense and neither are great at defense.

[Beeger43]

If I recall, Anderson and Neal both couldn't miss a three early in the season - both around 50% through 10 games or so. At the time, I expected Anderson to eventually prove he was a better defender than Neal and earn some extra playing time. Of course, the injury threw things off a bit...

Also, I was at OSU for James's entire college career, (so it's fair to call this a "biased" opinion...) and I watched every game he played. I can definitely say that for whatever reason, he looked WAAAAAY slower than I've ever seen him after his return from injury. Basically, I just want to assure everyone that the post-injury Anderson was NOWHERE NEAR the player I expect him to be. (Or even the one I watched play in college.) I mean, he's not the most explosive athlete in the world, but he's certainly not as un-athletic as he looked post-injury either!

In the long run, I don't expect him to be a "carry the team" go to guy, but it wouldn't surprise me if he averaged 15+ ppg - assuming he can stay healthy - at some point in his career. Someone compared him to a poor man's Michael Redd, and I think that's a fair comparison. (Maybe I'm biased, but I think he can become a much better defender than Redd...) Before the injury, I fully expected him to have a "breakout" game where he scored 20ish points and made 4 of 6 threes or something like that, then perform strongly from that point on. Obviously, he never got that chance, but I'm optimistic for his sophomore season - whenever that may be!

[monkeypunk]

I was more impressed from the start with Neal. It's obvious that Neal is significantly better than Anderson at offense and neither are great at defense.

I would disagree with this assessment of Anderson's pre-injury defense. I thought his defense and his 3pt % were his high points. I remember him flying in for several deflections that were pure hustle plays. I think he's smart enough to make up for his not being the most athletic guy on the court anymore (college vs. pro) by playing intelligent position defense.

As long as he stays healthy, I think he's going to surprise some people. He can be a real contributor this next season.

If there is one...

:depressed

[cheguevara]

too scrawny. needs to hang out with Blair more

[Cane]

Anderson looked like a steal before his injury and was competent on both ends of the court. His size and athleticism was a good change-up for the Spurs early in the season.

However after the injury he looked very slow. Hopefully he can regain his mojo otherwise he's going to the Toros. Foot fractures ftl

[Bill_Brasky]

From what I saw when he defended Kobe in that game against the Lakers where Pop didn't play the starters, he has potential to be a really good defender. He has a ton of athleticism. He also displayed an ability to score in a variety of ways pre-injury.

It's hard to come back to the NBA after an injury like that, especially considering how much time he missed and the fact that he was a rookie in the first place.

[DesignatedT]

Watched this guy a ton in college. He can score with the best of them and has potential to be a great defender. He will be a player.

[AFBlue]

I just don't get why some folks are so high on him. Seems like every year there is a player that fans fall in love with and predict great things that never come true.

Fans usually fall in love with the "underdog" player that shows some flashes but clearly lacks skills. Players like Williams (no athleticism), Hairston (no outside shot), and Gist (perimeter game) were not first round talents with a solid all-around skillset for their NBA position.

Again, tempering the expectation that Anderson isn't going to be a franchise guy or all-star, I don't think it's hard to envision him as a solid starter in the future.

[SpursDynasty85]

James Anderson looked great early in the season considering he didn't get much opportunity in preseason or summer league type games because of his injury. He showed a good defensive effort along with a very accurate 3 point shot. He does not seem to possess that lightning quickness or athleticism that you want in a 2/3 gaurd, but he had plenty of opportunities to fizzle, but instead showed Pop he was worth a little playing time his first year.

[Nathan89]

From what I saw when he defended Kobe in that game against the Lakers where Pop didn't play the starters, he has potential to be a really good defender. He has a ton of athleticism. He also displayed an ability to score in a variety of ways pre-injury.

It's hard to come back to the NBA after an injury like that, especially considering how much time he missed and the fact that he was a rookie in the first place.


I must of missed all of this. I never seen Anderson display a "ton of athleticism" before the injury. He can't score in a variety of ways either. All he can really do is shoot wide open 3's. He has limited ball handling and athleticism. That will prevent him from being anything but a 3pt shooter on offense.

I just don't see what all of you guys see in Anderson. He plays like an old guy that lost a step. Hopefully we didn't see him in peak physical condition at the beginning of last year.

[therealtruth]

James Anderson looked great early in the season considering he didn't get much opportunity in preseason or summer league type games because of his injury. He showed a good defensive effort along with a very accurate 3 point shot. He does not seem to possess that lightning quickness or athleticism that you want in a 2/3 gaurd, but he had plenty of opportunities to fizzle, but instead showed Pop he was worth a little playing time his first year.

I agree 100 percent. Another thing I remember of his early play is he seemed to be good a making the smart play on offense. I think where the Spurs really missed him was defensively. Neal surprised and provided a lot of offense but the team defense got progressively worse as the season went on. I think if he played he could have helped the defense improve. He also put everybody in their correct position. With his absence Ginobili was forced to play more backup 3.

[joshdaboss]

You may be right about Green. My point was that he came in late after being waived earlier in the season and still was playing in playoff games while Anderson wasn't. What about his conditioning?

When I see two journeymen move ahead of a first round pick I begin to wonder about the hype. One guy claims he is better than Hill= so why wasn't he playing more.?

Pop lets players earn time on the court better than most coaches and I think he was trying to give Anderson some burn, but he couldn't play ahead of Danny Green in the playoffs?

I'm not sure the reasoning behind that. Popovich is a very overrated coach in my mind, so that could have a lot to do with it. Let's remember, he didn't play Splitter until it was painfully, painfully obvious that he was the best fit to play. He also had Jacque Vaughn ahead of Beno Udrih in the rotation. Any idiot could make a better decision than that. You would barely need to know basketball to know Beno Udrih >>>>>>> Jacque Vaughn. Let's also not forget playing Michael Finley at PF in the playoffs, when he played a total of 0 minutes at PF in that regular season. They lost that series, by the way.

And whoever said he's better than Hill, quite simply doesn't know what they're talking about. He's nowhere near George Hill, not presently. The stats back that up. The eye test backs it up. I have no idea why anyone would even think about saying that.

[AFBlue]

I must of missed all of this. I never seen Anderson display a "ton of athleticism" before the injury. He can't score in a variety of ways either. All he can really do is shoot wide open 3's. He has limited ball handling and athleticism. That will prevent him from being anything but a 3pt shooter on offense.

I just don't see what all of you guys see in Anderson. He plays like an old guy that lost a step. Hopefully we didn't see him in peak physical condition at the beginning of last year.

The poster you quote probably went overboard with the "ton of athleticism" comment, but you've swung the pendulum back the other way by suggesting he's devoid of athleticism and will be relegated to a spot-up 3pt shooting role. The fact is that he took almost twice as many two-point attempts (81) as three-point attempts (46). His scouting report also suggests that he's capable of scoring in a number of ways. He may not have elite athleticism, but it should be adequate to play and defend on the wing.

Time will tell whether or not he's the calibur of player that I think he can be (solid starter), but I feel confident in the early results and scouting report on his skills and character.

[wildbill2u]

Several posters have said his worth can be measured by scouting reports since his injury limited his game, even during the Spring after returning to action. Fair enough. I went looking for scouting reports on Google and found at least six. All were favourable about his offense--although some called him a scorer not a shooter with limited speed and athleticsism.

However, I didn't find much to brag about on his defense in the scouting reports. This from Draft Express is probably the longest analysis.



The biggest chink in Anderson’s armor and the main thing holding him back from being able to project him as an outstanding NBA role-player has always been his play on the defensive end. Unfortunately, not much seems to have changed this year. Anderson isn’t much of a presence at all on the perimeter, looking very upright in his stance and showing below average lateral quickness, getting beat on a regular basis off the dribble by fairly mediocre college slashers. He doesn’t use his body well enough, lacks a significant degree of physicality in his approach, and does not utilize his length at all to contest opponents’ shots.

It’s possible that Anderson looks this way in part due to the fact that he’s trying to stay out of foul trouble or because of how heavily Oklahoma State relies on him offensively. Still, it’s not a very encouraging sign when projecting him to the NBA level. Teams will need to study this part of his game closely in private workouts to see if he has more potential in this area than he’s currently showing, as it’s an important factor considering his likely role in the NBA.


From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz1W3JOgV4e (http://www.draftexpress.com/#ixzz1W3JOgV4e)
http://www.draftexpress.com

[SpursDynasty85]

Normally scorers spend so much energy on offense that they are outworked on defense, which is what happened in Oklahoma State. In the Spurs system, James Anderson's first priority is to play defense and shoot open 3's. He played pretty good defense this year. No reason to think he cannot be a good defensive player. Just takes lots of hardword and experience.

[AFBlue]

I agree that the biggest question mark for Anderson is his defense. I read the same scouting reports, and even his pre-injury lateral quickness was not stellar. Having said that, his pre-injury performance showcased some ability to use his length to disrupt shots and passing lanes. As with every other facet of his game, these stats saw decline post-injury and they weren't admittedly eye-popping stats to begin with.

Speaking for myself, I said he has good defensive potential (length and strength are positives). I don't know how much he can do to improve his lateral quickness, but he's said to have excellent work ethic. If he dedicates himself to improving at least his fundamentals on that end, I think he'll be solid defensively.

And in that case, I expect his ability to score the ball offensively and play both wing positions to facilitate him starting at some point for the Spurs.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

Check some old OK State tape - the guy is somewhat (not a ton) athletic. He can shoot the 3, he can drive and he does play defense. He's not a superstar at any one particular skill but i'd say he's above average to average at all three. The most important aspect about him is that he's willing to try and get better, to listen and to be a team player.

Sooner or later, the Spurs need to get younger. Both TD and Manu are considering retirement - especially w/ the lockout. Manu and Tim can never be replaced but that doesn't mean you don't put the next guy in. Anderson (or Butler depending on who steps up the most) is most likely THAT guy.

[SpursDynasty85]

[quote]Wrong, with a broken foot, you have to be very careful not to over do it. He gained 15lbs and was not even close to basketball shape when he came back.

Every shooter will tell you if your legs are gone so is your shot, he was in poor basketball shape. Put a 15lb wt vest on and see how you play.

Anderson is a very good player who if he improves his ball handling and keeps wt down can be a 20ppg guy....16-20. He is very much a Michael Redd type player who may be a better defender. The lock out is not helping him much. Missing all last year and now getting no coaching may set him back.[quote]

Wow. This is a cool comparison. Their Skill set is very similar, but Michael Redd was a superstar. Michael Redd, before his major injuries, was well on his way to becoming a top 7player. Hopefully James Anderson works on his Jumper like Michael Redd did early on his career.

[Rito3d30]

Wrong, with a broken foot, you have to be very careful not to over do it. He gained 15lbs and was not even close to basketball shape when he came back.

Every shooter will tell you if your legs are gone so is your shot, he was in poor basketball shape. Put a 15lb wt vest on and see how you play.

Anderson is a very good player who if he improves his ball handling and keeps wt down can be a 20ppg guy....16-20. He is very much a Michael Redd type player who may be a better defender. The lock out is not helping him much. Missing all last year and now getting no coaching may set him back.

no wonder why he looked tired so easily after his comeback

[wildbill2u]

Wrong, with a broken foot, you have to be very careful not to over do it. He gained 15lbs and was not even close to basketball shape when he came back.

Every shooter will tell you if your legs are gone so is your shot, he was in poor basketball shape. Put a 15lb wt vest on and see how you play.

Anderson is a very good player who if he improves his ball handling and keeps wt down can be a 20ppg guy....16-20. He is very much a Michael Redd type player who may be a better defender. The lock out is not helping him much. Missing all last year and now getting no coaching may set him back.

What you cite as excuses is exactly what prompted me to start a thread about him. It is what makes me a little skeptical.

1. Attitude. If I'm a rookie who got injured, I'd want to avoid putting on any extra pounds and would try to come back in shape. Is he gonna come back after the lockout overweight again. One good exercise would be pushing away from the dinner table.

2. How long does it take me to get in basketball shape when I return to practice and the coaches respond by playing me in 18 of the remaining games so that I average 17 minutes for the year?. That's a lot of floor time opportunity that Pop gave to Anderson.

3. Why are my FG stats mediocre (.383) and so I get beat out by another hot shooting rookie who's 4 inches shorter and maybe less athletic or able on defense?

4. In fact, I don't get any minutes inthe playoffs while the other rookie and a much traveled defensive player do. Why is that?

Just askin'

[joshdaboss]

Redd is an awful defender and an even worse athlete.

[Beeger43]

What you cite as excuses is exactly what prompted me to start a thread about him. It is what makes me a little skeptical.

1. Attitude. If I'm a rookie who got injured, I'd want to avoid putting on any extra pounds and would try to come back in shape. Is he gonna come back after the lockout overweight again. One good exercise would be pushing away from the dinner table.

2. How long does it take me to get in basketball shape when I return to practice and the coaches respond by playing me in 18 of the remaining games so that I average 17 minutes for the year?. That's a lot of floor time opportunity that Pop gave to Anderson.

3. Why are my FG stats mediocre (.383) and so I get beat out by another hot shooting rookie who's 4 inches shorter and maybe less athletic or able on defense?

4. In fact, I don't get any minutes in the playoffs while the other rookie and a much traveled defensive player do. Why is that?

Just askin'

You can question his athleticism all you want, but I can assure you his attitude is not a problem. I watched him his entire college career, and he's a very humble, hard working guy. It's hard to stay in shape with a bum leg. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt until he plays a few games next season...

[urunobili]

He was poised to be Pop's boy until the injury. Non issue. Neal didn't waste his chance. He's a baller :)

[The Great Fantastic]

I truly believe that James Anderson is good enough to quadruple question mark. No doubt in my mind.

[Venti Quattro]

Danny Green sucks. He's destined for a career in Europe... or worse, the D-League.

He will just be remembered for cheering and laughing at a LeBron dance number.

[TJastal]

Start Anderson, bring Manu off the bench. He IS that good enough, yes.

:lmao

[Twisted_Dawg]

Danny Green sucks. He's destined for a career in Europe... or worse, the D-League.

:lol

[silverblk mystix]

Fuck...

I read the whole fuckin thread before looking at the date of the OP...what a waste...